Broadmoor Police Department in San Mateo County faces closure due to staffing and financial problems, supervisor says

SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) — San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa says a small county police department is at risk of closing its doors — due to staffing and financial issues.

Broadmoor and its police department are centrally located in Daly City.

On Monday morning, Canepa announced he was requesting $750,000 in Measure K funds to help the department hire more officers.

Chief Mike Connolly said there was a “crime wave” spreading to South San Francisco.

Broadmoor is considered a district and the department receives funding differently than other agencies.

“We’re a special district, so we get our funding from taxes and special assessments, we don’t get sales tax. Someone buys a car here, we don’t get that revenue,” Connolly said.

Connolly said the money would not only benefit Broadmoor, but also municipalities along the peninsula.

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“Colma has two major shopping centers, their branch is not much bigger than ours and they are inundated with crime,” Connolly said.

Connolly said that currently his department has five full-time patrol officers and four volunteer reserve officers.

“Due to our financial problems, I left the position for a paid part-time position. I work full-time and part-time,” Connolly said.

Connolly said officers work 12-hour shifts and are doing everything they can to reduce overtime.

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The police chief said the money would be used to help current staff and hire reserve officers.

“Most of the reservists we look at are academy graduates, so they’ve already gone through that training. We don’t have to pay for that. But we do have to go through in-house training,” Connolly said.

This is the first time in 75 years the department has asked the county for anything.

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Supervisor Canepa said his biggest concern is that there will be a “donut hole” with no police department in Daly City if they don’t get the funds.

“The sheriff’s office has been very clear about it, they don’t want the Broadmoor Police Department. And they’ve been very clear that the policing services they would provide – and if you could imagine that – I wish.” I had a map with me. They’re going to go all the way from Millbrae with no traffic and as you know, Highway 101 is very busy – it takes twelve minutes,” Canepa said.

Broadmoor’s police chief says the department covers 1.8 square miles and has a population of about 7,200.

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